


Nothing To Fear

by stjaninaro



Category: Depeche Mode
Genre: F/M, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-12
Updated: 2014-02-12
Packaged: 2018-01-12 03:50:55
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 17,864
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1181540
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stjaninaro/pseuds/stjaninaro
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Alan figures something out and sets out to help his two friends find happiness.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Nothing To Fear

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted on LiveJournal in March 2011.  
> Something a little different from my usual, thought I'd give it a go. Pretty happy with the result, please let me know your thoughts :)  
> (There is a female involved in a threesome, briefly.) Written mostly from Alan's POV.

***   
  
“Oh fuck! Mmmmf!”  
  
Martin reached back, his hands gripping the metal uprights of the headboard as he writhed in pleasure. Tilting his head back, he bared his throat, and Alan eagerly latched onto the newly exposed skin, nipping and sucking until it was stained a deep plum colour.  
  
“Oh god! Ungh, Dave!”  
  
Silence.  
  
Alan slowly pulled away, pushing himself onto his elbows to stare up at Martin’s face. He looked at him blankly, waiting for an explanation.  _Any_ explanation.  
  
Martin swallowed, his mouth closing with an audible click.  _‘Oh fuck.’_  He watched Alan with wide eyes, waiting for the inevitable explosion. He didn’t have to wait long, but when it came, it wasn’t the outraged growl he’d been expecting.  
  
“I  _knew_ it.” Alan whispered.  
  
“You what?” Martin asked, dumbfounded.  
  
“I knew it.” Alan repeated, pulling himself back into a seated position between Martin’s still spread legs. “I knew there was something going on between you.”  
  
“Alan no -”  
  
Alan recoiled from his outstretched hand, standing up from the bed and backing away from it. His forehead was furrowed, and Martin could clearly see the bewildered hurt in his deep blue eyes.   
  
“Al... Charlie?”  
  
Blinking suddenly, Alan met his gaze. “I thought you’d at least have the decency to remember it was  _me_ in your bed.” he spat. “Should have known you’d be imagining it was  _him_ instead.”  
  
“I wasn’t! Al, I’d neve-”  
  
“Oh save it Martin.” Alan sneered, “You want to go fuck Dave, fuck Dave. Don’t fucking use me to practice your perverted games on.”  
  
Martin’s temper flared. “ _Perverted_? You didn’t seem to have a problem with them before, Alan.”  
  
“Oh whatever Martin.” Alan’s lip curled up in a nasty sneer. “You were only ever meant to pass the time anyway.” Turning away he snatched up his clothes, wrenching his jeans up his legs, and pulled open the door. He spared a single glance back at Martin, still half-sprawled across the messy bed, before stepping out into the hall and slamming the door shut behind him.   
  
Wood hit wood with a mighty bang, and Martin watched in silence as the frame shook from the force. He stared at the door for a long while, half hoping Alan would come back. When it became clear he wasn’t going to, Martin sighed and dragged his eyes away. He rubbed his face with his hands, and lay back on the bed with a low groan.   
  
 _‘Well done Mart. You’ve fucked that one right up.’_  
  
He hadn’t meant to hurt Alan. Hell, he hadn’t thought he could hurt Alan –the thing between them had only ever been a bit of fun, a way to pass the time, as Alan had said. It wasn’t meant to be serious. Still, calling out somebody else’s name in the midst of... well,  _that_... That just wasn’t right.   
  
Alan had every right to be pissed with him. He must have been humiliated.  
  
Martin groaned aloud again and allowed his clenched fist to smack heavily into the mattress. “Great way to start the bloody tour Martin. You’re such a twat.” he chided himself.   
  
He lay in silence for a while, desperately trying to come up with some way of making it up to Alan. It was almost an hour later when he was getting ready to leave the hotel that the thought occurred to him, leaving him open-mouthed in terror. “Shit! What if he tells Dave?!”  
  
***   
  
Dave looked up shortly as Alan stormed into their shared room, obviously very pissed off. His attention was quickly retaken by the buxom redhead on her knees in front of him. Dave’s hips were jerking erratically into her mouth as she gave him what looked to Alan to be an enthusiastic, if sloppy, blowjob.   
  
Clenching his fingers tightly in her hair, Dave forced her head further down onto his cock, throwing his head back and closing his eyes with a long, loud groan as he shot his load down her throat. Taking his opportunity, Alan studied Dave’s body.  
  
 _‘What could he possibly have that Mart wants?’_  
  
Alan blinked as the woman –no, girl. She looked no more than 16. –pulled her mouth off Dave’s cock with a wet slurp. She grinned up at the heavily panting singer, and slowly opened her mouth, allowing a large stream of his juices to run down over her chin. She glanced over at Alan, seemingly unsurprised to see him, and winked seductively, before running her tongue over her lips, collecting Dave’s cum and swallowing it down with a satisfied moan.  
  
Raising an eyebrow at her brazenness, Alan looked away. She was cute sure, but Alan liked his ladies to have at least a little class. His gaze was suddenly caught by a thin string of saliva hanging from her mouth. He followed it with his eyes, starting in surprise as he suddenly came face to face with Dave’s glistening cock.  _‘Oh.’_  he swallowed.  _‘That’s what Mart wants.’_  
  
Dave cleared his throat, and Alan’s eyes darted up to his face. He was greeted by a raised eyebrow and a smirk, Dave chuckling quietly as he reached for his packet of cigarettes lying on the bedside table. Alan flushed lightly, but accepted a smoke when he was offered one.  
  
The girl carefully completed her task, licking Dave clean and tucking him back into his tight black briefs. Finished, she crawled across the carpet to gather up her clothes, giving the two men a perfect view of her ass as it swayed across the room. Alan caught Dave’s smug look and grinned appreciatively, lighting his cigarette and inhaling deeply. Yeah, she was cute alright.  
  
They watched her wriggle into her knickers, smoothing her skirt down over them, and neatly buttoning up her blouse. Dave had shuffled backwards from the edge of the bed to lean against the headboard, and Alan could see the late evening sunlight glittering off the beads of sweat on his chest. He couldn’t help but to have his gaze torn away from the now dressed woman, focused instead on studying the toned expanse of his bandmates chest and abdomen. That was  _definitely_ what Martin wanted.  
  
Alan blinked as his view was obstructed by an auburn curtain. Finished dressing, the woman had returned to the bed and crawled up to hover over Dave, leaning in to peck his lips. Granting her this one last favour, Dave lightly smacked her bum and sent her on her way. “Off with you, sweetheart. I think Al here needs a little heart to heart.” he said with a grin.  
  
She giggled coyly, kissing him once more before sliding off the bed and picking up her bag. “Bye Dave.” She opened the door and, pausing, turned to blow Alan a kiss over her shoulder. “See you later Alan.” She licked her lips again, and then she was gone, the door closing softly behind her.  
  
“Heh you better watch yourself later Al. She’s got her sights set on you now, and we’re here for another two nights.” Dave grinned suggestively.  
  
“Jesus Dave, was she even legal?!” Alan asked, turning disbelieving eyes on his friend.  
  
Dave laughed and stretched his arms above his head. “19, mate. Mart’s the one with the jailbait fetish, not me.”   
  
At the mention of Martin’s name, Alan’s face darkened. He’d forgotten about their little  _episode_ , distracted by the unexpected show he’d walked in on. “Martin’s the one with  _all_ the bloody fetishes.” he muttered under his breath. He shook his head at Dave’s questioning glance, and walked into the bathroom, shutting the door firmly behind him.  
  
Alan stripped off his clothes and stepped into the shower, turning the dial till the water was bordering on uncomfortably hot. Tilting his head back, he allowed the water to flow over his face, washing away all his stresses. If only for a little while. Despite Martin’s fears, Alan had never considered telling Dave what had happened. It would mean admitting this  _thing_ between him and Mart for starters –which Alan definitely was not willing to do. But more than that, it wasn’t his place to tell Dave, it would be a betrayal of Martin’s trust. Even if right at that moment, Martin deserved it. Alan just didn’t have it in him to do something that callous. Especially to a friend.  
  
He sighed again and reached for the soap, washing away the last remaining traces of his encounter with Martin. Alan couldn’t help but feel a little sad as he watched the suds silently circle the plughole before disappearing. He knew now that all he had left of his time with Martin were his memories. They’d had fun together, good sex – _very_  good sex, but that was all. There had never been  _feelings_ involved. His anger earlier had been borne out of embarrassment, rather than any sense of betrayal.  
  
“Hurry up in there Charlie!” A loud banging on the door brought him back to reality and Dave shouted again. “Come on, I need to shower before we head to the venue!”  
  
“Alright, alright!” he called back, shutting off the water and reaching for a towel. Wrapping it around his waist, he pulled open the door, and stepped aside to let Dave in. “You’ve got fifteen minutes Dave.”  
  
The door closed behind Dave, and Alan heard the lock click shut. Walking over to his bag, he pulled out a pair of tight black jeans, and a plain grey shirt, laying them out on the bed. He paused for a moment, listening for the sound of running water, and whipped off his towel, quickly drying himself and pulling on his jeans. No underwear –what was the point?  
  
Alan was lying on his bed, idly staring into space when Dave emerged from the bathroom ten minutes later. “Earth to Charlie.” He chuckled, waving a hand in front of Alan’s face. “Thinking some heavy thoughts there big guy?”  
  
Blinking, Alan sat up. “Sorry mate, zoned out for a minute. Did you say something?”  
  
“Nah, just wondering if you were still with us. We’re leaving in five and your hair looks like roadkill.” Dave grinned, glancing at him in the reflection of the mirror as he pulled on his clothes.  
  
Alan bristled with indignation, throwing a glare in Dave’s direction as he moved towards the mirror –slowly. He didn’t want Dave thinking his comment had hit a nerve. “Hmph, roadkill.” he muttered under his breath. “I’ll give him roadkill. Least my hair  _has some_  volume!”  
  
Chuckling delightedly, Dave slipped on his leather jacket and leaned against the doorframe, waiting. He cocked his head to the side, watching as Alan fretted about his hair, smoothing copious amounts of gel through it, and then twisting and turning each individual strand into place until he was satisfied. Finally, Alan threw down his comb with a triumphant smirk and turned to face him, eyebrow raised.  
  
“Beautiful Charlie.” Dave said, fluttering his eyelashes as theatrically as he could. “I’ve never seen hair so tall.”  
  
“Damn right.”  
  
Dave rolled his eyes and reached for the door handle. “Come on, we’re gonna be late.”  
  
Grabbing his jacket, Alan hurried after him, shutting the door firmly behind them.  
  
***   
  
The show had been a huge success, the crowd responsive and  _loud_ , their fans singing along to the new songs as if they’d known them for years. It boded well for the rest of the tour, and the band were celebrating their success with a rather raucous afterparty.   
  
The never ending flow of drinks and high spirits had helped to dispel any hard feelings between Alan and Martin. Just a single glance from Alan when Martin had approached him before the show, was enough to relieve Martin’s worries. It had promised discretion, and of all the things Martin knew about Alan, he knew he always kept his promises.  _Always_.  
  
The party continued well into the night, the band eventually drifting apart and around the room, mingling with the other guests –support bands, record label people, friends,  _fans_.   
  
Alan raised his glass with a broad grin as yet another toast was offered in his direction, stopping briefly to smile down the lens of yet another camera as a fan slung an arm around his neck, or waist, pulling him in for a photograph. He quickly scrawled his name on a piece of paper, making polite conversation with the stuttering boy clutching his copy of the latest album with shaking hands.   
  
After a few hours, the smile was forced, and the conversation stilted. _‘Gonna get bloody lockjaw if there’s much more of this.’_  he grumbled to himself. Alan downed his drink, ready to head back to the hotel. He glanced around for the rest of the band, wondering where’d they’d got to, he hadn’t seen any of them in quite a while now. His eyes soon found Dave, and he waved at him, chuckling as Dave wordlessly gestured at the tiny, blonde girl standing in front of him, rabbiting away in Spanish or Italian, or something. Alan watched as Dave interrupted her, saying something that clearly excited her, and leaned down to allow her to give him a peck on the cheek. The poor girl almost fainted as Dave returned the gesture, laying his free hand on her shoulder as he signed her tour programme.  
  
Chuckling as the girl scurried away, Alan watched as Dave started to make his way through the crowd towards him. Just as he was about to go meet him halfway, Alan was distracted by a light tap on his shoulder. Expecting to find another eager fan, he plastered a cheesy grin on his face and turned around.   
  
He came face to face with bright red hair, and a low-cut emerald green dress. Alan blinked sharply as he recognised the woman from earlier –Dave’s companion. She wore the same cheeky pout that she’d directed at him as she’d left that afternoon.  _‘So Dave was right.’_  he thought, allowing a sly smirk to quirk his lips. He ran his eyes over her body, taking in the long legs and the way the dress barely managed to conceal her considerable assets. She looked like a Christmas present just waiting to be unwrapped.  
  
Seeing his appreciation, she held out her hand and raised a saucy eyebrow, confident of his response. Considering her rather presumptuous offer, Alan paused for a moment, tilting his head back in a way he knew made him look both arrogant and incredibly sexy.  
  
He saw her hand tremble and smiled dangerously, reaching out to wrap his long fingers around her slender wrist. Raising it to his lips, he pressed a gentle kiss to the soft skin and grinned devilishly as her eyes fluttered shut in pleasure. Thinking he’d gained the upper hand, Alan pulled away, only to gasp in surprise as she stepped close to him, cupping him suddenly through his trousers. She licked her lips and stretched to whisper in his ear. “I told you I’d be seeing you later Alan.”   
  
Satisfied that she now had him exactly where she wanted him, she took hold of his hand and turned away, leading him towards the door. “Come along, and let me show you what you were missing out on earlier.”  
  
Halfway to the door, she caught sight of Dave, and an idea suddenly formed in her mind. She slowed down, and waited for him to approach them. “Hi Dave,” she smiled, coyly. “Fancy a bit of fun?”  
  
Dave raised an eyebrow and glanced at Alan for his reaction. Alan was staring at her with unconcealed surprise, but Dave could see something else in the deep blue depths. Alan considered it for a moment. He really wanted to fuck this brazen minx, wanted to put her firmly back into her place, but he was also curious. Martin’s outburst, and then coming face to face with Dave in the act, had intrigued him. He wanted to see what Dave could do.  
  
He nodded.  
  
“You sure Charlie?” Dave asked, only a bit surprised. Alan was a very private guy, but that wasn’t to say he’d never been open to trying new things. At Alan’s second nod, he grinned and looked back at the redheaded woman. “Ok then. Hotel it is.”  
  
***   
  
They crashed through the hotel room door in a flurry of limbs, hands groping and mouths gasping for breath. The short drive in the taxi had been hot and heavy, Dave’s lips firmly latched onto the woman’s neck as she writhed on Alan’s lap, her tongue mapping out every square inch of his mouth. She had soon shuffled backwards, dropping to her knees in front of him and palming him insistently through the front of his trousers, running her fingers lightly over the erection he hadn’t managed to fully get rid of since his botched sex session with Martin.  
  
Alan still hadn’t managed to catch her name.  
  
The door had no sooner shut behind them when she was tugging at Alan’s shirt, pulling it over his head and running her hands over his chest, lightly scratching at his nipples with her fingernails. He shivered with pleasure, pushing her back to lie on the bed and quickly covering her lithe body with his own. Alan kissed his way up her neck, thrusting against her still clothed body as she grabbed his arse encouragingly, moaning loudly.   
  
Dave was content to stay back for a while, allowing Alan to get better acquainted with her. He  _had_ already spent the afternoon with her after all. He leisurely stripped down to his briefs, keeping a close eye on the couple on the bed, waiting for his cue to get involved in the fun.   
  
Alan rolled onto his back, pulling the girl to lie on top of him. She latched herself onto his chest, nibbling on one of his nipples as her fingers gently pinched the other, rolling it between her fingertips. Dave seized his chance, and pounced, unzipping her dress and throwing it to the floor. She wasn’t wearing any underwear.  
  
He knelt on the bed behind her, settling himself in the space between Alan’s legs and wrapped his arms around her waist. She leaned back into his embrace with a moan, rubbing her bare arse against his still covered cock. Alan sat up, licking and kissing a path from her bellybutton up to her breasts. Catching her hair in one hand, Dave pulled it aside to allow Alan greater access to her flesh. He’d already had ample time to explore her body earlier, it was only fair that Alan get the same opportunity.  
  
Alan released a guttural moan as her hand grasped him through his jeans again, squeezing hard. Lying back and closing his eyes, he allowed her to touch him, massage his stiff length through the constricting denim. He tensed, hissing softly, as her grip became uncomfortably tight and he opened his eyes to see Dave sucking her earlobe and playing with her heavy tits. She obviously loved it, her eyelids fluttering involuntarily and her body rhythmically grinding back into his crotch.  
  
Her movements had another effect of course. She was sitting directly above Alan’s balls, and each roll of her hips pressed against them. Alan moaned quietly at the sensation, and her eyes snapped back to him. She smiled coyly, crawling up to kiss him, slipping her tongue into his mouth as her hands found his zipper. She pulled it down slowly and his cock sprang out, already standing to full attention and craving stimulation. “Suck me.” he groaned, pushing her head down level with his crotch.   
  
Alan saw Dave lick his lips, his eyes fixed on her mouth swallowing him deeply. She moaned in contentment, and his hips jerked up at the vibration, forcing him further into her mouth. He groaned loudly as she suddenly relaxed her jaw, taking him right into her throat and humming. Alan soon forgot all about Dave’s eyes studying his body.  
  
Dave chuckled as Alan arched up off the bed –she’d used that same trick on him that afternoon. He felt his cock twitch at the memory and lowered his hand, sneaking it beneath the waistband of his briefs to play with his cock, tugging gently on the foreskin. Grinning silently, Dave slithered from the bed, pulling down his underwear and kicking them away. He quickly knelt beside the bed, watching for a moment as her ass swayed temptingly in front of him, her hips moving back and forth in tandem with her lips as she sucked Alan off.  
  
With a low growl, Dave dove forward, burying his face between her legs. He licked a long stripe along the crease of her arse, pausing briefly to run his tongue around the puckered skin before finding her wetness. He pulled back to breathe, his face covered in her juices and met Alan’s gaze. He gestured with his head for Alan to shift their positions, waiting till the woman was lying on her back and Alan had straddled her face, pushing his cock back between her lips, before he went back to his previous task.   
  
Spreading her folds with the tips of his fingers, Dave teased her with tiny, delicate licks. He soon had her writhing in pleasure, moaning uncontrollably. The added sensations were doing wonders for Alan –he now had his hands braced on the wall above his head, thrusting his dick smoothly between her lips again and again.  
  
Suddenly her hands flew up, gripping Alan’s hips tightly and pulling him from her mouth, her body bucking and twisting as Dave’s tongue and fingers brought her to an earth shattering climax. She cried out repeatedly as little aftershocks of pleasure raced through her veins.   
  
Alan climbed off her and sat back against the headboard to watch, lazily stroking his cock. He smirked at Dave’s smug grin and rolled his eyes. Dave chuckled softly, knowing Alan would take it as a challenge to do better, and lowered his head, kissing away the tiny droplets of sweat that had formed on the girls lower abdomen. As she recovered from her orgasm, Dave reached over to the bedside locker, opening the drawer and pulling out a small, foil wrapper. He tossed it to Alan, who caught it with one hand, silently raising an eyebrow in question.  
  
“Your turn mate.” Dave said. “I had her earlier.”  
  
Alan snorted. “Cheers.”   
  
Before he could rip open the packet, it was plucked from his grasp by a perfectly manicured hand. She smiled back at him, shyly biting her lip as she smoothed the condom over his hard length. She leaned over him, brushing his chest with her breasts as warm air tickled his ear. “How do you want me?  
  
Alan turned swiftly, taking her bottom lip gently between his teeth and biting down lightly. He caught Dave’s eye and they came to a silent agreement. Pulling away, he gripped her hair, slowly tugging it back to bare her throat. He pressed his lips against it, scraping the soft skin with his teeth. “On your knees.” he replied, voice husky. “You’re going to suck Dave off while I fuck you.”  
  
“Mmm,” she moaned delightedly, swiping her tongue across his lips before moving to assume the required position. She kept her hand on his cock, stroking slowly.  
  
Dave slapping her bottom eliciting a surprised giggle. He slid onto the bed, cupping her face in his hands and kissing her softly. He teased her, running his tongue lightly over her bottom lip and retreating each time she opened her mouth to grant him access. Growling playfully she chased his lips, backing him further towards the headboard, and grabbing his cock in her free hand when she had him trapped.   
  
Moving over to let Dave lie back against the pillows, Alan crawled down the bed, stopping every few inches to lick and kiss the girls torso, until he was knelt behind her on the mattress. He reached down to remove her hand from his member, smacking her wrist lightly when she refused to let go. Pouting a little, she turned away from Dave to look at him over her shoulder. She moaned loudly at the sight of him, pushing her ass towards his crotch in a silent plea. “Ooh please Alan, fuck me!”  
  
Holding his cock at the base, Alan rubbed the tip against her wet folds, and paused. “You want it?”  
  
“Yes!”  
  
“Then put that pretty little mouth of yours around Dave and get to work.”  
  
Alan hadn’t even finished his demand before she was down, devouring Dave’s slick length with an eagerness that had Dave writhing in mere moments. “Jesus Charlie! Hurry up and fuck her, or I’m gonna come!”  
  
Lining up with her entrance, Alan told a firm hold of her hips and slid inside. He groaned loudly as he was instantly surrounded by tight, wet heat –the thin rubber of the condom doing nothing to mask the sensations of her muscles clenching spasmodically around his length. He set up a bruising pace, suddenly desperate to come. He’d been on edge all day after all.   
  
The woman pushed back against him, meeting his thrusts and revelling in the rough fucking he was giving her. She tore her mouth off Dave’s cock, screaming as Alan reached around to rub his fingers over her sensitive bundle of nerves. “Oh fuck yes! Fuck yes, do me harder Alan, harder!” Curling his upper lip, Alan did as she asked, slamming into her repeatedly, going deeper with every thrust of his hips.  
  
Huffing impatiently, Dave reached for her head, intending to push her back down onto his hard dick. Changing his mind, he suddenly pushed her upright till she was leaning back against Alan’s chest. “Wait wait wait.” He panted.  
  
Alan raised an eyebrow, his movements never slowing, and watched as Dave manoeuvred himself around until he was lying the opposite way on the bed, his head inches from Alan’s thighs. His free hand closed around the girls waist, sliding up to grab one of her breasts and play with her nipples, while the other continued rubbing her over-stimulated flesh.  
  
Settling into a comfortable position, Dave reached up again, shoving Alan’s hand out of the way as he pulled her down over him. Her head was now level with his crotch again, and he was within licking distance of her entrance. He paused for a moment, mesmerised at the sight of Alan’s cock sliding into her at such close quarters. He stuck out his tongue, flicking it over her delicate skin, and accidentally brushing against Alan’s balls. He pulled back immediately. “Sorry mate.” He breathed.  
  
Alan’s hand moved from the woman’s hips to briefly clasp Dave’s shoulder. “Don’t worry about it.” He panted, his breathing harsh and irregular.  
  
The redheaded woman had shuddered at the sensation of Dave’s tongue on her heated skin. She leant down, sucking his dick back into her mouth and concentrated -as much as she could with Alan pounding into her, on getting him off.  
  
It didn’t take long. Twirling the point of her tongue over his tip, and suddenly taking him deep into her throat, she brought him to a heart-stopping climax. Dave arched off the bed, forcing his cock even further into her mouth, and shot jet after jet of hot, sticky come straight down her throat. She choked, all her muscles constricting at once. The sudden extra pressure on his cock brought Alan closer to his release. He tightened his grip on her hips and thrust harder, his need to come now critical.  
  
Recovering from his orgasm, and sensing Alan’s desperation, Dave set to his task with alacrity. No longer worried about inadvertently touching Alan, he licked and sucked with abandon, soon bringing the woman crashing over the edge.  
  
Alan followed quickly, her spasming muscles wringing his release from him. He grabbed her hips with enough force to leave bruises, and buried himself up to the hilt inside her, his loud moan hanging in the air. He stayed there, motionless, for a long minute, before pulling out, holding onto the base of the condom so as not to lose it. He moved to the side, collapsing bonelessly, and closed his eyes, panting heavily.   
  
He felt a hand remove the sheath from his sensitive member, a mouth soon following to lick him clean. Alan hissed quietly, still too soon after his orgasm for the touch to be anything other than slightly painful. He was asleep within minutes.  
  
Dave watched with half-lidded eyes as the woman gathered up her clothes, twisting around to pull up her zip. She turned to look at them before she left, a wide smile on her face. Dave shivered, his sweat-covered skin growing cold. Noticing the goosebumps on his legs, she walked closer, tugging the duvet over the two of them and gently tucking it around their chests. “Mmm, thanks Ruby.” Dave murmured quietly. “See you around.”  
  
Ruby chuckled quietly, careful not to wake Alan. “No you won’t.” She replied, before she turned and left, closing the door quietly behind her.  
  
***   
  
Martin woke the next morning to the sound of Fletch singing, very loudly and very out of tune, in the bathroom. Groaning, he tugged his pillow over his head, stuffing the edges of it into his ears. It was useless. “Fucks sake Andy!” He shouted, grimacing as his own voice sent pain lacing through his skull. “Shut up will you?!”  
  
Andy poked his head round the door, grinning widely. “Does someone have a hangover?”  
  
Eyes still closed, Martin ripped the pillow from his face and flung it at him. It missed, hitting the wall a good metre to the left of where Andy was standing. Chuckling, he picked it up, walking over to Martin’s bed and dropping it heavily on his stomach. “Come on lazyarse, get up.”  
  
Martin rolled over, pulling the blankets over his head. “Don’t wanna.”  
  
Andy snorted and shook his head. In one swift jerk, he pulled the blankets clean off the bed, leaving Martin shivering in the cool morning air in nothing more than his socks. “Andy!”  
  
“Get out of bed Mart,” Andy said firmly. “We’ve got that journalist from NME coming to interview us all. Gonna take all bloody day too, so I want to go get a decent breakfast.”  
  
Martin winced and pushed himself up to lean on his forearms. “So go eat. Why do I have to get up?”  
  
“Because he’ll be here in an hour. It’s almost 12.” Andy replied. He turned and headed for the door with a sigh. “Look, do me a favour and go make sure Dave and Alan are still alive would you? I’m going down to the restaurant before the buffet ends, I’ll see you all down there in half an hour.”  
  
“Fine.” Martin grumbled, reaching down to pick up his briefs and wriggle into them before he stood, looking around the room for the rest of his clothes.  
  
“I mean it Mart. Half an hour.” Andy repeated seriously.   
  
Martin looked up at him, exasperated. “Yeah ok, half an hour! I got it.”   
  
Frowning slightly, Andy nodded and opened the door. When it had closed behind him, Martin flopped backwards onto the bed, rubbing his hands over his face. His head was pounding, and there was an unpleasant furry feeling coating the inside of his mouth. Groaning he pulled himself upright, stumbling to the bathroom to fix himself up.  
  
Twenty minutes later, Martin was stood outside Dave and Alan’s door, his knocks echoing loudly down the hall. He’d been here for five minutes already, and he was starting to lose patience. “Dave! Al, come the fuck on! We’ve got an interview in forty minutes!”  
  
His shouts went unanswered, the two men within still blissfully asleep, side by side. About to give up and go get Andy to sort them out, Martin frustratedly grabbed the door handle. To his surprise, the door swung open a few inches, revealing a pitch dark room.  
  
Huffing quietly, Martin pushed the door open the rest of the way and stepped in. He couldn’t see anything, and he gingerly picked his way across the room to pull open the curtains. Turning around, preparing to go shake his friends awake, he froze, mouth dropping open.  
  
“WHAT THE FUCK?!”  
  
Alan jerked awake, sitting bolt upright at Martin’s furious screech. “Mart? What are you doing here?” He asked blearily, rubbing at his eyes. He felt something warm brush against his thigh and glanced to the side, stunned to see Dave lying beside him, still half asleep.  
  
He was naked. Alan knew this, and he also suspected Dave was naked too. It took him a moment to remember the previous nights events; the redheaded woman, Dave, sex, the  _threesome_.  
  
“What am  _I_ doing here?!” Martin demanded, anger evident in every pore of his body. “What are  _you_ doing in bed with  _Dave_?!”  
  
“Calm down Mart.” Dave said, sitting up with a yawn. The blankets pooled around his waist, and Alan noticed Martin’s eyes flicker down to his lap. “We just had a bit of fun last night and fell asleep together. No big deal.”  
  
Martin’s face went red. “No big deal?” he squeaked. Taking a deep breath he turned back to Alan, eyes blazing. “I don’t believe you Charlie. You flip out at me yesterday because I said his  _name_ , and then you go and  _fuck_ _him_?! What the hell?! Some fucking friend you are.”  
  
“Whoa whoa whoa.” Dave frowned, looking between the two of them. “I don’t know what’s going on with you two, but Al and I didn’t fuck, Mart. There was this girl -Ruby, and we brought her back with us, shared her. That’s it.”  
  
 _‘Ruby.’_ Alan thought, a look of distaste crossing his face.  _‘What kind of name is Ruby?’_  
  
Martin snorted in disbelief. “Sure you did, Dave. We all know Alan doesn’t do that sort of thing. He’s too fucking uptight. If you want to lie to me, fine, go ahead, but I don’t have to stand here and listen to it.”  
  
Martin turning sharply on his heel and stormed out. But not before Alan had glimpsed the raw hurt and anguish on his face. Suddenly everything became clear. It made such perfect sense. Pushing back the covers, he quickly got out of bed, pulling on his clothes and looking about for his shoes. He had to go after Martin, right now. He had to be sure.  
  
Dave watched him with a look of confusion. “Charlie, what the fucks going on? What was Mart on about, did you guys have a fight or something?”  
  
“Later Dave.” Alan panted, finally locating his missing shoe and pushing his foot into it. “I’ll explain later, I promise.”   
  
Completely bewildered, Dave watched him leave, hurrying after Martin. After a while, he allowed himself to fall back, landing against the soft pillows. He wasn’t stupid. He’d seen the look of betrayal in Martin’s eyes. What he didn’t understand was what had caused it. What had Alan done?  
  
Sighing, he looked to the side, catching sight of the clock on the bedside table. “Fuck!” he exclaimed, all thoughts of Alan and Martin pushed to the back of his mind to be dealt with later. “Fletch is gonna kill me!”  
  
***   
  
Alan raced after Martin, desperate to catch him before his assumptions led him to do something stupid. He saw him disappear around a corner at the end of the hallway, and sprinted to reach him. “Martin, stop! Please, we have to talk!”  
  
Martin spun around abruptly, eyes flashing, with the tiniest hint of redness round their rims. “Like fuck we do.” He spat, as Alan came to a halt in front of him, panting heavily.   
  
“Mart please.” Alan said, reaching out to lay a hand on Martin’s shoulder. He pulled it away as Martin flinched, slapping him away.   
  
“No. I’ve got nothing to say to you.” Martin replied, resolutely avoiding Alan’s gaze. They stood in silence for a while, Martin staring at the floor as his mind raced, desperately trying to figure out why he was so angry. He looked up at Alan’s next quiet statement.  
  
“You’re in love with him.”  
  
Alan watched as Martin’s eyes widened. He saw the immediate denial cross his face, the confusion, the uncertainty, and finally, the realisation. He smiled gently as Martin looked up at him, and held out his hand again. “Come on, let’s go to your room.”  
  
Martin took his hand in a daze and allowed Alan to lead him back to his room. Settling him on the bed, Alan went to the bathroom to get him a glass of water, pressing it into his hands as he sat opposite him on Fletch’s bed. Martin didn’t seem to be capable of speech, the earth-shattering revelation rendering him speechless. How could he have not realised? How could he have let this happen?  _How could Alan have done this to him?_  
  
Before Martin had a chance to snap, Alan started speaking. His voice was low and calm, the tone one that Martin knew he only used when he was being very serious.  
  
“Look Mart, I didn’t sleep with Dave. What he told you was true. There was this girl at the afterparty, and she wanted us both. I was drunk, and...” He paused for a second, a light blush climbing over his cheeks. “And I was curious. After you said Dave’s name when we were... you know, in bed, I wanted to see what he had that I didn’t. But nothing happened between us, I swear.”  
  
Martin bit his lip and looked away, seemingly considering Alan’s words. His brow was furrowed, and his eyes sad as he tried to figure out how to respond. After a few minutes, Alan broke the uncomfortable silence, shifting to sit beside him on his bed.  
  
“Mart?”  
  
Martin finally looked up and Alan could clearly see the uncertainty in his eyes. Suddenly he understood what was bothering him. Martin believed him when he had said nothing had happened between himself and Dave, but now he was worried that something  _could_ happen. Alan had admitted to being curious about Dave, how far would that inquisitiveness take him?  
  
“I’m not interested in Dave.” Alan said firmly, taking Martin by surprise. He hadn’t realised his thoughts were so easy to read. “He’s my best mate, Mart, nothing more. The threesome was just a onetime thing.”  
  
“Oh fuck Charlie.” Martin cried, burying his face against Alan’s shoulder. “I’m so sorry. I should never have shouted at you like that. I had no right, even if you had done something with Dave, I shouldn’t have done it. I don’t have a fucking claim to him.”  
  
“Shhh.” Alan soothed, wrapping his arms around Martin’s back. “Don’t worry about it. It’s all ok.”  
  
“Is it?” Martin asked, pulling back to stare into his eyes. “Are  _we_ ok, Alan?”  
  
“We’re fine.” He held up a hand to silence Martin when he opened his mouth to speak again. “We’re  _fine_ , Mart. No hard feelings, yeah. That thing between us was only ever a temporary thing, a bit of fun right?” He waited for Martin to nod and then smiled. “Besides, you’ve got more important things to think about now. What are you going to do about Dave?”  
  
Martin inhaled deeply and released it in a loud gush. He was relieved that Alan was being so understanding about all this. He could easily have kicked up a fuss about their previous trysts, making them out to have been more than the simple release they were, but he hadn’t. Instead he’d reassured Martin, made him realise the previously unknown depths to his feelings for Dave, and now here he was was trying to help even further. Martin suddenly felt filled with shame. He’d allowed his shock to let him question Alan’s integrity, his worth as a friend. And it was only now that Martin realised just how good a friend Alan really was to him.  
  
Alan’s amused voice broke into his thoughts. “Stop doing that Mart. I know what you’re thinking. You’re being self-deprecating and insecure, and it’s stupid so stop it.”  
  
“Thanks Charlie.” Martin said quietly.   
  
His eyes widened suddenly and he twisted round to look at the clock. “Fuck! We’re so late! Fletch is gonna kill us, we were supposed to meet him and that journo from NME almost an hour ago.”  
  
Alan groaned. He’d forgotten all about that. “Come on, we better go. We’ll talk more about this later ok?”  
  
“Ok.” Martin replied, and they hurried from the room, the door closing with a loud bang behind them.  
  
***   
  
“Where the hell are they?!” Andy growled under his breath, glaring over at Dave. The journalist was sitting opposite them at the table, flicking through his notebook and making idle scribbles with a bored expression. Andy had refused to start the ‘group’ interview with half the group missing.  
  
“I don’t know.” Dave hissed back at him. “I told you already.”  
  
Swift footsteps approached and they all turned to see Alan and Martin making their way towards them, apologetic looks on their faces. Dave raised an eyebrow at Alan, silently asking if everything was alright, and received a brief nod in return. Dave nodded, and relaxed slightly. The details could wait.  
  
Martin threw himself into the last remaining chair, panting after his run down three flights of stairs -they hadn’t wanted to waste anymore time waiting for the lift. A glance to his left revealed Fletch’s furious glare, and he quickly looked the other way, meeting Dave’s wary smile. Martin swallowed past the lump in his throat, trying to quash the sudden butterflies in his stomach. They seemed so much more potent now he understood the reason behind them. He’d been so blind.  
  
He smiled hesitantly back at Dave, offering him a silent apology. Dave grinned, and winked at him, soothing his fears, before he turned back to listen to Alan telling the journalist about the sound issues they’d had at the previous venue in Barcelona. Martin sank back into his chair and followed suit, grateful for the mind-numbingly unoriginal questions that distracted him from his thoughts.   
  
Working out this situation with Dave was going to take all of his attention.  
  
***   
  
“Thank fuck that’s over.” Dave exclaimed as the journalist bid them farewell, and quickly left, muttering something about making a deadline. The interview had dragged on for hours, leaving them all feeling drained.   
  
"You said it mate.” Andy agreed, wiping his glasses on the hem of his t-shirt. “I reckon we could all do with a drink. Who wants one?” His suggestion was greeted with suddenly brightened faces and grins all round. “Thought so. I’ll get the first round in.” He said, getting to his feet and turning in the direction of the hotel bar. “And you’re coming with me Mart. You’re going to tell me why you were bloody late when you  _promised me_  you’d be on time.”  
  
Martin grimaced, but quickly hid it when Andy glared at him. “Yeah, ok.” He stood without another word and silently followed Andy out of the room, throwing a worried glance at Alan.  
  
Dave raised an eyebrow, catching the silent exchange, and turned to Alan. “You said you’d tell me later what was going on. Well it’s later now, and I want to know. What’s going on with you and Mart?”  
  
Alan sighed and met his gaze. “Nothings going on with me and Mart.” He replied honestly. “It’s...” He paused to consider how to continue, not wanting to say anything that could jeopardise Martin. “Fuck, I’m sorry Dave. I can’t say anything. I wish I could mate.”  
  
“Has something happened to Martin? Is he alright?” Dave demanded, concern for his friend blinding him to the implications of Alan’s words.  
  
“No, no, Mart’s fine. He’s just... working through some things at the moment, that’s all.” Alan replied, surprised at the level of worry in Dave’s voice, and secretly thrilled.  
  
Dave relaxed slightly, and then his brow furrowed. “So what’s going on? Why can’t you tell me?”  
  
“It’s not my place to tell you mate.” Alan replied, apologetically.   
  
“But it’s something to do with Mart?”  
  
“Yes.” Alan admitted reluctantly. “Look, all I can tell you is that, yes, we had a bit of an argument yesterday, but that’s all sorted now. We talked it out, and that’s why we were late.”  
  
Frowning slightly, Dave nodded. “Ok.” He said. “But I still don’t get what he said in our room this morning.”  
  
“He’ll talk to you when he’s ready Dave.” Alan said, sympathetically laying a hand on Dave’s shoulder and standing up. “He always does. Now come on, I could do with a stiff drink.”  
  
Brightening, Dave smiled. “Better go before Fletch drinks our pints.”  
  
Five hours later they were all royally drunk. Surprisingly, Dave was the first to put his hand up and announce he was calling it a night. “Just be quiet when you come in, eh Charlie? I could do with a good nights sleep before the gig tomorrow.”  
  
Alan chuckled, slapping him affectionately on the back as he wrapped an arm around his shoulders. “Fuckin’ lightweight. I’ll be sure to kick you on my way to the bathroom.”  
  
Dave rolled his eyes and shoved him away, giggling when Alan stumbled slightly and had to grab the edge of the table, sitting down heavily before he fell. Turning around, he bid Andy a goodnight, glancing at Martin out of the corner of his eye. Martin had been quiet all evening, drinking even more than was usual for him, and avoiding his gaze as much as possible. Even now, he was swaying in his seat, eyes unfocussed and glassy, and staring off into the distance. Dave couldn’t help the pang of hurt that shot through his chest, but he forced it down behind a tight smile. “Night Mart?”  
  
Martin barely glanced at him. “Wha? Oh. Night Dave.” He slurred.  
  
Blinking, Dave turned and left. But not before Alan had caught the distressed look on his face. He frowned, looking at Martin and noticing the longing stare he had trained on Dave’s departing back. He shifted closer to him on the seat and nudged him gently with his shoulder.  
  
“You should go talk to him.” He said quietly, conscious of Andy’s presence at the other side of the table. “He’s confused about what happened this morning. And upset that I couldn’t tell him.”  
  
Martin blinked in confusion, forehead furrowing as his drunk brain tried to follow Alan’s words. “Why didn’t you tell him?”  
  
Alan huffed impatiently. “Because,  _you_ have to be the one to tell him. It wouldn’t sound right coming from me -he wouldn’t believe it for starters, and anyway.” He lowered his voice. “ _You’re_  the one that’s in love with him.”  
  
“I can’t tell him  _that_!” Martin said in a strangled whisper. “He’d lamp me one!”  
  
“He wouldn’t and you know it.” Alan replied, calmly. “What else are you going to do? Never tell him? Just pretend everything’s hunky dory and go on with things they way they are? That’s bullshit Mart. You _need_ him, so go get him.”  
  
Alan’s unexpectedly impassioned speech struck something deep within Martin. He sat up straight, squaring his shoulders and taking a deep breath. Picking up his glass he drained the rest of his pint in one mouthful. “Ok. I’ll do it.”  
  
“There’s a good lad.” Alan grinned. “I’ll just... bunk with Fletch tonight then.”  
  
Martin smiled lasciviously, and without wasting any more time, he stood up and quickly exited the bar, heading for the lifts with a determined air.  
  
“Where the fuck’s he gone?” Andy asked in confusion. “Why are you staying in our room?”  
  
Alan chuckled quietly, leaning across the table to lay a comforting hand on his shoulder. “You’ll see Fletch, you’ll see. Now, how about another pint?”  
  
***   
  
Martin staggered into the lift and jabbed the button for the third floor, leaning back against the rail as the door slid shut. He inhaled deeply. Now he was alone, second thoughts were beginning to creep into his mind. What if Dave thought it was all just a big joke? Or worse, what if he was disgusted?  
  
Before his brain had a chance to wander any further down that path, the lift stopped, and the doors quietly opened. Suddenly feeling very sober, Martin didn’t make any move to exit the lift for a long moment. _‘What the fuck am I doing?’_  he thought, swallowing heavily. _‘I should just go back down to the bar.’_ He was already reaching for the button when his hand came to an abrupt halt in midair. ‘ _No.’_  he decided.  _‘I need to do this, Alan’s right.’_  
  
Martin strode out of the lift, and down the corridor, fists clenched in nervous anticipation. He passed the door to his hotel room and suddenly stopped, backtracking. “One drink.” He said to himself. “One drink to calm me down and then I’ll go see Dave.” Digging the key out of his back pocket, he quickly unlocked the door, walking inside and immediately heading for the minibar. He pulled out a miniature bottle of whiskey, twisting off the cap as he sat down on the edge of his bed. Martin held the alcohol to his nose, the scent instantly soothing his nerves.  
  
 _‘Thank fuck for liquid courage_.’ He thought with a wry chuckle, and downed it in one, wincing at the slow burn that slid down his throat. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and tossed the now empty bottle in the bin. Closing his eyes, he savoured the rich taste, the way his head was already regaining that pleasant fuzziness he’d been looking for.   
  
“Okey dokey Marty. Time to go.”  
  
He stood up, walking quickly out of the room and down the corridor before he could talk himself out of it again. Within minutes he was standing outside Dave’s room, hand poised over the wood, ready to knock. Steeling himself, Martin knocked.  
  
Nothing happened for a moment, and Martin bit his lip, torn between trying again and taking this as a sign. An opportunity to run. He was starting to feel a bit sick, his head spinning. Just as he was about to turn and flee, Martin’s ears picked up the faintest sounds of movement coming from within, and suddenly Dave was standing in the open doorway, peering at him with undisguised surprise. Wearing the tiniest pair of briefs Martin had ever seen.   
  
Martin swallowed loudly, and forcibly dragged his eyes away from the tempting sight. Instead, he looked up into Dave’s face and smiled. “Hi.”  
  
“Hello.” Dave replied slowly, frowning slightly as he took in Martin’s dishevelled state and unfocussed eyes, the way he was leaning on the doorframe for support. “Everything alright Mart?”  
  
“Yes! Everything’s... everything’s perfect.” Martin exclaimed with a wide grin, the alcohol now taking full effect. “I need to talk to you. Can I come in?”  
  
Dave wordlessly stepped aside to allow him entrance, shutting the door softly behind him. He watched as Martin stumbled over to the bed and sat down, almost missing the mattress completely. “Jesus Mart, how much have you had?”  
  
Martin waved dismissively from his position on his back. “Enough enough. Dave, I need to talk to you.”  
  
“You said that already. What is it?”  
  
“I wanted to... to apologise. For this morning. Bursting in on you and Charlie, and the shouting an’ all. Bang out of order that was.” Martin replied, struggling into an upright position.  
  
“S’alright Mart, don’t worry about it, yeah? I mean, you and Charlie are ok now, right?” Dave asked.  
  
“Yeah, course. That Charlie... top bloke, mate, top bloke. One in a million.” Martin grinned vacantly, before his eyes suddenly found Dave’s. Dave couldn’t be sure, but he thought he saw them sharpen just a fraction. “Anyway, that thing with Charlie isn’t the important bit.”  
  
Dave frowned. “I think it was Mart. You went completely schizo on him.” Dave suddenly remembered Alan’s words from earlier – _‘ He’ll talk to you when he’s ready Dave.’_  
  
“Why were you so upset with him?”  
  
“I... uh...” Martin’s courage suddenly failed him. He lurched to his feet. “Fuck I need to go.”  
  
“Go?” Dave frowned in confusion. “Why? Mart, what the hell is going on?”  
  
“I can’t... I can’t... Just, please Dave, let me go.”   
  
Martin attempted to push past Dave to get to the door, panic flooding his veins. How could he have been so stupid?! He shoved at him again, feeling the electricity race through his fingertips as they brushed against Dave’s chest. Seeing his desperation, Dave stepped aside, watching in complete bewilderment as Martin wrenched open the door and disappeared down the corridor.  
  
 _‘What the hell did I say?’_  
  
*** 

***   
  
Martin ran down the hallway, ignoring the pain in his shoulders as he bumped first against one wall, and then another. He skidded around the corner, breathing hard, and ran straight into Alan, knocking him flat.  
  
“Oof!” Alan grunted as he hit the floor. He blinked to clear his head and gazed blearily up at Martin who was struggling to push himself off Alan’s chest. He grinned suddenly. “If you wanted another go Mart, all you had to do was ask?”  
  
Martin groaned, and managed to push himself to his haunches. He collapsed back onto his arse, not able to stifle a desperate sob, and Alan’s smile slid from his face, replaced by a look of real concern. He could have kicked himself. How could he have got so drunk that he’d forgotten what Martin had been doing?  
  
“Fuck Mart,” he gasped, pushing himself to his knees and crawling forward to lay a hand on Martin’s shoulder. “What happened? What did Dave say?”  
  
“He... he didn’t...” Martin gave up and instead shook his head, big crocodile tears now falling swiftly down his cheeks. His lip was trembling uncontrollably.  
  
Growling, Alan got to his feet. He was halfway down the hall when he suddenly remembered Martin, and quickly turned back to help his sobbing friend from the floor. He took hold of his shoulders and waited until Martin looked him in the eye. “I’m going to sort this out. I’ll make him see sense Mart, don’t you worry. Why don’t you go lie down for a bit, clean yourself up?”  
  
Martin nodded silently, too drunk to argue, and watched dazedly as Alan marched off down the corridor, determination radiating from his posture. He stood there for a long while, swaying dangerously. He started to fall, and the pain of his cheek hitting the sharp corner of the wall shocked him into movement. Martin staggered towards his room, pulling himself along the wall in an effort to remain upright. Sighing with relief when he finally found the right door, he reached into his pockets to find his key- which wasn’t there. He searched his pockets frantically, turning them inside out and dumping all manner of junk on the floor. It was no use, the key wasn’t there -he’d left it in the room before he’d gone to see Dave. Sliding to the floor, he buried his face in his hands and started to cry.   
  
His last thought as he slumped to the ground, battling to remain conscious, was  _‘I’ve ruined everything.’_    
  
***   
  
Alan was absolutely furious by the time he reached his hotel room. Finding the door ajar, he simply shoved it open, letting it bounce off the wall with a loud ‘bang’. Dave sat bolt upright, on the bed, eyes wide. They narrowed in disappointment as he realised it was Alan, and not Martin coming back to him. They narrowed even further when he sensed the waves of fury radiating from his best friend.  
  
“How dare you?” Alan snarled, stepping into the door, and flinging the door shut behind him, rattling the frame with the force. “How fucking dare you do that to him?!”  
  
“What the hell are you on about? _I_  didn’t do anything to him,” Dave replied, growing angry himself at the accusation. “He just upped and ran off.”  
  
Alan walked up to Dave and shoved him hard in the chest, knocking him onto his back. “I just ran into him sobbing in the fucking corridor, Dave! Why would he do that unless you’d said something to him?’’  
  
“What the- what the fuck is this, ‘let’s all fucking take it out on Dave’ day? And why the fuck are  _you_ so bothered anyway? Since when have you needed to come running to Mart’s rescue? It’s not like this is the first time he’s ever got pissed? Look, I don’t know what the fuck’s going on here, but it’s not my fucking fault! Why don’t  _you_ go to him, seeing as you’re so obviously concerned?”  
  
Dave stood up from the bed, shoving Alan hard enough in the chest to send the drunk man stumbling back against the dresser. Alan reached behind himself to steady himself on the furniture, watching warily as Dave advanced on him, a black look on his face.  
  
Dave took a deep breath, obviously trying to calm himself down. When he next spoke, his voice was slow and clear. “I want to know  _exactly_  what’s going on between you two, and I want to know  _now_.”  
  
Alan stared back at him for a long moment. Finally, he sighed, and dropped his head into his hands.  
  
“Come on Charlie, I feel like a right twat here. Mart’s upset, you’re- well,  _fuck_ knows what you are. But everyone seems to be pissed off with me, and I haven’t got a fucking clue what’s going on.”  
  
Dave’s expression softened, and he reached out a hand to help Alan straighten up. Alan accepted, and allowed Dave to lead him over to the bed. He dropped onto the mattress heavily, and Dave steadied him with an arm wrapped around his shoulders.  
  
“I’m sorry…” Alan sighed. “You know the drink doesn’t normally affect me like this, mate.”  
  
“No…” Dave agreed. “But Martin has.”  
  
Alan looked across at him then, seeing the searching look in Dave’s eyes, conflicting emotions flickering back and forth across his own.  
  
“You knew?” he asked, quietly.  
  
Dave shook his head kindly. “No, I didn’t. But the state you’re in now, and the way he bit your bloody head off earlier- well, I kind of guessed. Problem is, you know me mate. I tend to put two and two together and end up with five.”  
  
“I promised him I wouldn’t say anything” Alan groaned. “What a total fuck up-”  
  
“Jesus man, you’re only human.” replied Dave, giving his shoulder an affectionate squeeze. “Come on, out with it. And you have my word- anything you tell me now won’t go any further than these four walls.”  
  
“I know…” replied Alan. “I didn’t mean it like that.”  
  
Dave grinned at him, and Alan couldn’t help but chuckle. “Ok, well that’s not strictly true, what I said before. He told me in the corridor I could talk to you. Not that I heard him at the time, because I was too pissed, and too bloody angry-”  
  
“Sorry to be blunt mate, but is the reason why Mart came in here this morning all guns blazing because he found you in bed with me?” Dave cut in.  
  
The look both men exchanged was long, and heavy with tension. Finally, Alan dropped his eyes in drunken defeat. “Oh what the hell, what’s done is done now. Yes. He thought we’d slept together.”  
  
“Jesus!” exclaimed Dave, an unreadable expression on his face. “I mean, no offence mate, you’re not exactly ugly- ah fuck it, you  _know_ you aren’t. But  _us_?  _Fucking_? Jesus, it’d be like fucking my brother!”  
  
“Ah, Christ.” Alan winced, running his fingers over his face. His shoulders were shaking now, as he tried not to laugh.  
  
“Sorry mate.” Dave laughed, once more patting his friend on the shoulder. A few moments passed, before he spoke again.  
  
“So, um… how long have you and Martin been-”  
  
“Few months.” Alan cut in hastily. “But it was never anything serious. We’re not…  _together_. It was just a bit of fun to pass the time, you know?”  
  
Dave nodded. “Ok, I get that. But then why was he so pissed off when he saw you in bed with me then?”  
  
“Ugh Dave, mate, I love you but you can’t half be bloody slow sometimes.”  
  
“Huh?”  
  
“He wasn’t angry at you for sleeping with me. It was the other way around.”  
  
Dave looked over at him, his jaw dropping. “I don’t get you, mate.”  
  
“Fuck’s sake.” groaned Alan, running his fingers through his hair. “It’s  _you_ he wants, you pillock!”  
  
“Hu- ME?!”  
  
“Come on Dave, nobody’s  _that_ blind. Not even you!”  
  
Dave appeared to consider this for a while, his face beginning to blush a fetching shade of red.  
  
“Wha- Are you  _embarrassed_?” chuckled Alan, glad he was back on more familiar ground.  
  
“Kind of…” replied Dave, shock and awe evident in his voice. He turned to face Alan, his face a picture of raw honesty. Realisation lit up Alan’s face like a lantern in the dark.  
  
“Well that’s just made it a hundred times easier! You idiot Gahan, why didn’t you ever say?”  
  
“Huh?!”  
  
“That you fancied Mart!”  
  
“Keep your fucking voice down!”  
  
“Ok.” Alan hissed impatiently. “Well the way I see it is, this can easily be solved. Just go out there, and tell him.”  
  
“What the fu- are you  _mad_?!” Dave replied, his eyes darting around the room. Alan groaned.  
  
“He’s single.  _You’re_ single. Well ok yeah, that’s a slight technicality. Whatever, you both want each other, so go and sort it out.”  
  
“And it’s  _that_ fucking easy?!”  
  
“How hard can it fucking be?” Alan shrugged.  
  
“I don’t know, I’ve never asked a friggin’ bloke out before!”  
  
“Well go and do it now, before I change my mind and get there first. He’s not gonna wait forever, you know.” Alan said, raising an eyebrow challengingly.  
  
Dave sat in silence for a good few minutes, every once in a while looking across at Alan and opening his mouth before he’d turn back again, wordlessly.  
  
“There’s really nothing between you anymo-” he said, eventually.  
  
Alan slapped his hand over Dave’s mouth. “I swear to god Gahan, if you ask me that once more I will kick the shit out of you.”  
  
Dave snorted at the threat, and reached up to pull Alan’s hand off him. “You couldn’t beat up a girl-guide, posh boy.”  
  
Alan rolled his eyes. “Just bloody go and tell him and stop procrastinating!”  
  
“Thank you Charlie.” Dave said, rushing to grab his clothes and throw them on. He paused as he opened the door, throwing a final glance back at Alan. “Mart was right you know, you really are one in a million.”   
  
Alan stared after him as the door fell shut behind him. He felt a bright smile spread across his face at the heartfelt sentiment, and chuckled softly to himself, not bothering to fight the flush of pleasure that suffused his cheeks.   
  
***   
  
Dave walked along the corridor at a slow pace, worrying his lip with his teeth as he considered what he was about to do. Sure he had the advantage of already knowing how Martin felt about him, but still the nerves churned in his stomach, scything away at his confidence _. ‘Mart’s a braver man than I am._ ’ he thought, remembering Martin’s pale face, and the way he’d been trembling. The fact that he’d lost his nerve at the last moment didn’t matter, he’d still tried. That was what counted.   
  
He wondered where Martin might have gone. He hadn’t been in any fit state to go back to the bar, and Dave doubted Alan would have let him anyway, so that left his room. Taking a deep breath, Dave nodded and quickened his pace, hoping that Martin would let him in. He turned the corner, still deep in thought, and almost stumbled to a halt as he caught sight of Martin’s small form laying limply on the floor at his door.  
  
“Mart!”  
  
Dave hurried over, dropping to his knees at Martin’s side and gently brushing the blonde curls way from his face. Even in repose, the misery was etched into every line of his face, a deep frown creasing his forehead. Dave stroked his fingers gently over the soft skin, smoothing out the furrows and wiping at the half-dried tear tracks on his cheeks.  
  
“Jesus Mart, I’m so sorry,” Dave whispered, “I should have listened to you instead of attacking you about Charlie.”  
  
Martin shivered, and Dave noticed how little he was wearing, the goosebumps on his arms very obvious. Pausing for a moment to think, Dave decided the only thing to do was to bring Martin back to his room, and get him warmed up. He gently hooked his arm behind Martin’s head, carefully pulling him into an upright position. He draped Martin’s arm across his shoulders, and slid his other arm under Martin’s knees, bracing himself for a moment before he slowly stood up, muscles straining under Martin’ surprisingly heavy weight.  
  
Dave walked slowly, and carefully back to his room, trying his best to not jolt the sleeping man in his arms. He reached his door just as it opened, Alan stopping dead at the sight of his two bandmates.  
  
“What the fuck?!” he hissed, heeding Dave’s frantic gestures for him to be quiet. “What happened, Dave?”  
  
Dave shifted uncomfortably, the muscles in his arms aching. “I don’t know. I found him passed out outside his door. Bringing him back here was the only thing I could think of.”  
  
He glanced down at Martin’s small form, and Alan had to bite back a smile at the look of tender affection on his face. He was so obvious it was almost funny. Alan reached out a hand and laid it on Dave’s shoulder to get his attention.  
  
“That was a really good idea mate. He needs looking after, and it’ll give you a chance to talk to him. Especially once he sees how much you care about him.”  
  
Dave blushed and looked away, a pleased smile curling at his lips. “Thanks Charlie.” He said quietly.  
  
Alan stepped aside and allowed Dave to carry Martin inside, laying him gently on the bed, and sitting beside him, stroking his hair. “I’ll bunk with Fletch tonight, give you two some space.”  
  
Dave threw him a grateful smile before immediately turning his attention back to Martin. Alan grinned and said “Good luck” as he stepped out, closing the door softly behind him. Glancing at his watch, he decided it was about time he went to drag Andy out of the bar –he didn’t fancy being woken up in the middle of the night to the sound of retching and the scent of vomit.  
  
Dave had barely noticed the sound of the door clicking shut as Alan left, his gaze firmly fixed on the gentle rise and fall of Martin’s chest. His eyes trailed over the slight body, admiring the taut toned arms, smooth stomach, and almost delicate facial features that belied Martin’s inner strength. The man was stunning, beautiful inside and out, Dave had always thought. It was only when Alan had cornered him that Dave had fully been able to admit his feelings for the songwriter were far more than simply platonic.   
  
Figuring that Martin would probably have a raging headache when he woke up, Dave went into the bathroom to get a glass of water and some painkillers out of his toiletry bag. He heard a quiet whimper as he was returning and hurried back to Martin’s side, quickly placing the glass on the bedside table. “Shhh,” he soothed, resting his cool hand on Martin’s forehead and lightly rubbing his temples. Martin leaned into the touch with a low sigh that sent Dave’s heart fluttering. He smiled at Martin’s response, biting his lip to contain his thrilled giggle.  
  
Dave crawled onto the bed, settling on his side behind Martin, and gently wrapping his arm around his slim waist. Again Martin responded to his light touch, rolling onto his back and shuffling closer to the heat of Dave’s body. Martin snuffled quietly as he pressed his face into Dave’s chest, instinctively accepting the offered comfort.   
  
Hours passed –much too quickly for Dave’s liking, he’d spent the night watching Martin sleep. Every flicker of his eyelids, the tiny little gasping breaths he took, and even the tiniest gurgle from his stomach was noted with affection, and filed away in Dave’s mind as yet another reason to adore the man in his arms. Dave could only hope and pray that Martin would forgive him his stupidity from the previous night, his blindness to what Martin had desperately been trying to make him see.  
  
He traced his fingers tenderly down Martin’s cheek, as he had done countless times that night, and marvelled again at it’s softness. Unable to bear it any longer, he leaned down and rested his cheek against Martin’s, desperately needing the closeness. Dave closed his eyes, breath hitching as he caught Martin’s scent, and pressed their skin together a fraction more. There wasn’t even the barest hint of stubble on Martin’s face. He remained there for a moment, lightly rubbing his cheek against Martin’s chin, and up and over his cheekbones.   
  
Suddenly, Martin’s breathing changed, and Dave pulled away, holding his breath as Martin slowly returned to consciousness. He blinked blearily up at Dave, smiling dazedly at the feeling of warmth surrounding him. He looked around the room, momentarily confused at where he was. “Wha- Dave?”  
  
“Hey Mart.” Dave sat up and smiled down at him, encouraged by Martin’s warm greeting. “How are you feeling?”  
  
Martin blinked again, licking his lips. “Thirsty. Headache, you know the usua-”  
  
He trailed off, eyes widening as he stared up at Dave. It all came flooding back; his decision, helped along by Alan, to admit his feelings for Dave, fleeing Dave’s room, running into Alan...   
  
‘ _Oh fuck.’_  He thought, panic surging through his veins.  _‘Oh fuck oh fuck oh fuck.’_  
  
Sitting up, he backed away from Dave, his eyes wide and fearful.  _‘Why hasn’t he hit me yet? What’s he waiting for?’_  
  
Dave watched the realisation hit Martin hard, and his smile fell. ‘ _So much for this being easy...’_  he thought. He shifted closer to Martin and held out a hand, wincing as Martin flinched away from him, almost falling off the edge of the bed in his haste to avoid the perceived blow.  
  
“Bloody hell Mart, I’m not gonna hit you!”  
  
Martin peered up at him warily. “You’re not? But I... I thought... after last night...” He grimaced, inwardly berating himself for being stupid enough to bring it up.  
  
“Of course not.” Dave said calmly, holding out a hand to help Martin up. He sighed quietly in relief as Martin, eventually, took hold of it and allowed himself to be pulled back on to the bed. “Look Mart, last night... You didn’t really give me a chance to respond to...” Dave’s brow furrowed, “Well actually, you ran off before you even gave me something to respond to.”  
  
“Oh... yeah.” Martin blushed, looking down at the duvet. “I was drunk.”  
  
Dave rolled his eyes and inched closer. “Yeah, I kind of got that, Mart.” He chuckled, looking up at Martin from beneath his eyelashes, lending him a sweet, innocent air. “So what was it you wanted to tell me?”  
  
“Wha? Oh... um... I can’t remember,” Martin stuttered, eyes darting nervously around the room at everything except the man sitting opposite him. “It was nothing.”  
  
Dave raised an eyebrow at him, but Martin resolutely stuck with his denial. Sighing, Dave bit his lip and looked away, contemplating how best to approach his confession without scaring Martin away first. After a long silence, he decided on the truth.  
  
“Mart... I  _know_. Alan told me.”  
  
“Know? Know what?  _What did Alan say?_ ” Martin was bordering on frantic by now, terrified that Dave was about to tell him he wasn’t interested and break his heart into a million irretrievable fragments. His only defence was to keep playing dumb, pretend it was nothing and protect himself.  
  
“Everything, Mart.” Dave said calmly. “He told me everything.”  
  
Martin opened his mouth, and closed it again, words sticking in the back of his throat from sheer terror. _‘You bastard Charlie! You complete and utter bastard!’_  
  
“ _Everything?!_ ” Martin squeaked, every ounce of colour draining from his face. He swayed slightly, and Dave reached out to grab his shoulders, steadying him in case he collapsed.  
  
“Yes.” Dave said, trying desperately to lock his gaze with Martin’s, a difficult feat as Martin’s eyes were darting around the room frantically looking for a way to escape. Dave tightened his grip of his shoulders. “Mart, he told me about the two of you, the thing between you, and he told me why you were so upset this morning.”  
  
Martin’s breathing quickened near to the point of hyperventilating.  
  
After a brief pause, Dave continued, asking the question he so desperately wanted an answer to. “Mart, is there something – _anything_ , you want to tell me?”  
  
“He told you about us?” Martin stuttered, struggling to calm his breathing. “It was only a bit of fun, and it’s over now, done with.”  
  
“I know, Mart, I know, he said that. I really need you to answer me now.  _Please_.”  
  
Martin shook his head. “I can’t, I  _can’t_.” His breath hitched in a desperate sob. “I can’t have you hate me Dave.”  
  
Dave groaned under his breath, frustration growing. “I’m not going to hate you Mart. There’s  _nothing_ you could say to ever make that happen. Just, please, tell me.”  
  
“No!” Martin began to struggle, frantically trying to free himself from Dave’s tight grip. “I have to go! Let me go Dave!”  
  
“I’m not letting you go until you tell me the truth. You have to trust me Mart.”  
  
Martin’s thrashing increased, and it was all Dave could do to hang onto him. Thinking fast, Dave did the first thing that came into his head.   
  
He kissed him.  
  
Martin froze, the soft, sweet press of Dave’s mouth against his lips rendering him breathless. All he could think about was the smoothness of Dave’s lips, the slight scratch of his stubble on his upper lip, the heat of his breath, all combining to send shocks of electricity surging through his veins. He could feel everything, like his whole body had gained a new sense of awareness, tingling from the tips of his toes to the end of every hair standing bolt upright from his skin. His arms were trembling as he slowly raised them, clutching at Dave’s shoulders and pulling him closer. He couldn’t make himself pull away to speak, desperate to make the experience last as long as possible.  
  
“Dave,” he whispered, “Dave, what are you doing?”  
  
It took Dave a moment to answer, too caught up in the whisper of Martin’s breath against his lips. He felt Martin’s small hands on his shoulders, unconsciously tugging him closer, and smiled against his mouth. He pulled away, eyes hooded and panting hard. “What does it look like I’m doing, Mart?” he murmured, before licking his lips and lowering his head to Martin’s neck, nuzzling into the soft skin and nipping lightly.  
  
Martin groaned quietly, tilting his head to the side to give Dave more room. He gasped as Dave dragged his sharp teeth along his throat, scratching at the sensitive skin. “Dave...” His eyes fell shut, fingers scrabbling to grip tightly at the loose hairs at Dave’s nape. Struggling to remain coherent, he pulled hard, forcing Dave backwards. “Dave, stop!”  
  
Dave sat back with a groan. Martin eyed him cautiously, half expecting him to launch himself at him again, and wondering why he was stopping him from doing exactly that.  _‘I want this,_ ’ he thought in confusion, ‘Why are you stopping it?!’   
  
It took less than a second for his brain to provide him with the answer. ‘ _Because if this is just because he’s lonely, a one time thing, it will_  break  _you._ ’  
  
Steeling himself, Martin locked his gaze with Dave’s and took a deep breath. “Why are you doing this, Dave? Is it because you miss Jo? You think because Alan told you about us, that I’ll be an easy lay?”  
  
Dave blinked at his sad tone, his hurt at the accusation clear on his face, and sat back, Martin’s hands falling from his shoulders. “Mart... no, god. Of course not!”  
  
“Then why?”  
  
“Because...” Dave paused, biting his lip as he considered the effect his next words could have. “I love you.”  
  
Martin stared at him, completely stunned, mouth opening and closing as he tried to process the suddenness with which all his dreams appeared to be coming true. Dave shuffled closer, tenderly cupping Martin’s face in his hands. His eyes were wary, he knew that despite Alan’s assurances, there was every chance Martin would run.  
  
“Martin,” he whispered, raw honesty lacing his tone. “I mean it Mart, I love you. I always have. It just took Charlie knocking some sense into me to make me realise.”  
  
Gasping out a disbelieving chuckle, Martin looked up at him, his hands coming up to rest on top of Dave’s. “What would we do without him?”  
  
Dave laughed, his smile turning suggestive in the blink of an eye. “I can think of a  _lot_ of things we can do without him.”  
  
Feeling giddy with relief, Martin grinned. “Me too.”  
  
This time it was Martin who made the first move, leaning forward to press a firm kiss against Dave’s widely smiling mouth. Dave moaned in surprise as Martin wasted no time introducing his tongue to the kiss, mapping out every square inch of Dave’s mouth. Dave responded with alacrity, twining his tongue with Martin’s and using his weight to push them down onto the bed, his lithe body covering Martin’ smaller one perfectly.  
  
Dave’s hands slipped down from Martin’s face, one coming to rest at the hem of his shirt, fingers lightly tracing his exposed hipbone, as the other tangled in his curls, allowing him to take control of the kiss, tilting Martin’s head to the side to find a better angle. They gasped as they bumped noses, fingernails digging into skin more roughly than planned and leaving red welts in their wake. Martin gripped Dave’s shoulders tightly, holding him closer, and writhing beneath him, rubbing himself against his thigh desperately.  
  
“Dave, please.” he whimpered, arching his back to get even more contact. Dave moaned as Martin’s stiff length pressed firmly against his clothed cock, the sensation shocking him back to semi-awareness. And sudden nervousness.   
  
He pulled away, panting heavily, leaving Martin staring up at him in thinly veiled apprehension. “Dave?” he said quietly, pushing himself up onto his elbows as Dave sat back, resolutely staring at his chest, and biting his lip. “Dave, what’s wrong? Have you... changed your mind? Do you not want this?”  
  
Dave looked up sharply at Martin’s broken tone. “No, of course I want this!” he trailed off, cheeks flushing a light pink. “It’s just... I... I’ve never done this before. With a bloke, I mean.”  
  
Martin stared at him. “But... Really?” he asked, after a moment, struggling to equate the nervously fidgeting man in front of him with the confident, charismatic, been-there-done-it-all Dave he’d known for all these years. “Back in Bas... the clubs?”  
  
“I’ve done some stuff, yes.” Dave replied, looking uncomfortable. “But I’ve never, you know... gone all the way. With a man. Like you have and-”  
  
Martin was suddenly hit with a blinding flash of clarity. “Are you scared you’ll disappoint me, Dave?” he blurted out, staring at Dave with a mixture of shocked affection.  
  
Dave briefly met his gaze and quickly nodded before looking away again, cheeks now burning. Martin sat up and shuffled closer to him, cupping his chin and making him look at him. “It’s not possible, Dave.” He said quietly but firmly. “I’ve dreamed about this –you and me, for so long. There’s nothing you could do to disappoint me. Just you being here is already more than I ever expected to happen. I didn’t think I’d ever be so lucky.”  
  
“Alan?” Dave asked, half afraid of the answer. He knew how Alan felt about all this, but he was still unsure of Martin’s thoughts. Yes, he’d said it was only a bit of fun, but was that really it?  
  
“Alan’s not you.” Martin said decisively. “It’s you I’m in love with. Not him.”  
  
Dave’s heart –and anxiety –melted at the heartfelt admission. He leaned forward and caught Martin’s lips in a passionate kiss, pouring every ounce of himself into the gesture. “Show me what to do.” he murmured against his mouth, grinning in breathless anticipation as Martin nodded, lying back and pulling Dave on top of him again.  
  
Dave’s hands roamed over Martin’s chest, fingering the metal buckles that secured his clothing to his body. Martin gently took hold of his hand and laid it over one of the fastenings, giving it a comforting squeeze. “Don’t be nervous,” he whispered, “Just do it. I  _want_ this Dave.”  
  
Kissing him again, Dave attacked the buckles, fingers fumbling with the thick straps and cold metal, but soon he had them all undone, Martin’s naked chest laid bare before him. He licked his lips, glancing up at Martin’s face and seeing the barely restrained passion in his eyes. Lowering his head, he flicked his tongue over Martin’s nipple, groaning as he heard Martin cry out in response. He closed his mouth around the hardened nub and sucked, alternating between worrying the sensitive skin with his sharp teeth, and soothing it with his tongue. Martin arched his back in pleasure, his hand coming up to pinch and squeeze the other one, even as his free hand buried itself in Dave’s hair, wordlessly encouraging him to do more.  
  
Dave raked his fingers down Martin’s sides, digging his nails into the soft skin. He grinned as Martin shivered from head to foot, hips bumping up against Dave’s. This time Dave didn’t shy away from the contact, instead he pressed down hard and rubbed, a loud strangled moan filling the air as he tore his mouth from Martin’s chest. “Oh fuck Mart!”  
  
Martin grabbed the back of his neck and dragged him down for another long kiss, his hands reaching for the hem of Dave’s tshirt, tugging it up and over his chest. Their lips parted for the briefest moment to allow the material to be pulled off and flung away, landing on top of a lamp and plunging the room into semi-darkness. Dave pulled away from the kiss with a small grin. “Mood lighting, Mart? You trying to seduce me?”  
  
He suddenly dropped his hands to Martin’s most sensitive area, stroking firmly with his palm. Martin’s response trailed off in a long, loud moan, his hips bucking wildly as Dave’s fingers teased and caressed him through his jeans.”Dave!”  
  
Hearing Martin say his name like that, in such obvious pleasure, sent Dave reeling. He’d been dreaming of that sound for so long, and now he heard it, it was sweeter than any music the songwriter had written previously. He lowered himself onto Martin’s body, their naked chests pressing against each other for the first time. Dave allowed himself a small whimper at the sensation, Martin’s heat enveloping him immediately as his arms came up to clutch at Dave’s shoulders.  
  
They kissed for a while, rutting against each other slowly but passionately, content in their gentle exploration of one another. Martin’s hands roamed Dave’s strong back, massaging the taut muscles and caressing the hard bumps of his spine, before he couldn’t help himself any longer and slid them down lower, slipping under the loose waist band of Dave’s trousers to rest on his firm arse. He squeezed, drawing a muffled groan from deep in Dave’s chest. He did it again, encouraging Dave to thrust against him more forcefully, the gentle pace of before becoming increasingly frantic as they desperately sought to feel more of each other, feel  _everything_.  
  
The hard press of Dave’s cock on his thigh burned Martin, he had to see it, had to touch it, had to  _taste_ it now. He pushed Dave back onto his knees, following him closely and practically crawling into his lap as he removed his hands from beneath his clothing and frantically brought them round to tug at his zip, never once allowing their lips to part.  
  
“Mart,” Dave groaned into his mouth, fingers digging roughly into Martin’s scalp. “Mart, please.” His plea trailed off into a high-pitched wail as Martin’s fingers finally found their prize, his small hands closing around Dave’s impressive erection.  
  
Dave threw his head back, gasping loudly as Martin stroked him, his hold firm and sure, but oh so gentle. Seizing his chance, Martin shifted his weight, sending Dave toppling onto his back, spread-eagled across the bed. Hand still stroking his weeping length, Martin shuffled down, kissing a scorching path from Dave’s collarbone, down his heaving chest, pausing briefly to run his tongue around his belly button, sticking his wet muscle teasingly into the hollow before moving away to lightly bite his hipbone. Dave’s hips arched off the bed, his cock slipping from Martin’s grasp and bumping against his nose, leaving a silvery trail of precome across his upper lip.  
  
Glancing down, Dave just caught sight of Martin’s tongue darting out to collect the salty fluid, his eyes closing in delight at the taste of Dave’s essence. He opened his eyes, fixing Dave with a dark lustful stare, and licked his lips. Dave shuddered in anticipation, breath coming ever quicker now, and watched with hooded eyes as Martin lowered his head to lap at the sensitive head of his cock. “Unh... fuck...” he hissed, “Fuck fuck fuck.”  
  
Encouraged by Dave’s response, Martin sank down, taking as much of him as he could into his mouth. He hummed quietly, revelling in the thickness of Dave’s member, the length almost too much for him to take. He looked up, catching Dave’s black stare. Winking, he relaxed his throat muscles, and swallowed the remaining two inches of Dave’s cock.  
  
Dave’s hands grabbed at his hair, fingers clutching reflexively as he struggled not to thrust hard into the wet heat. Martin could feel him trembling, see the tiny drop of blood rolling down his chin from where he had bitten his lip too hard at the overwhelming sensation. Breathing through his nose, he moaned, the knowledge that he was the one doing this to Dave almost more than he could take. He swallowed, throat muscles massaging the tip of Dave’s cock, and pulled back, hollowing his cheeks to increase the suction. He was determined that this was going to be the best Dave had ever had, that he’d never want to look elsewhere for the level of pleasure Martin could give him.   
  
Martin let Dave slip out of his mouth, his need for him suddenly reaching a new level, and rubbed his cock against his lips, his cheeks, panting, overcome with lust. He placed frantic kisses all along the ridges of Dave’s veins, desperate for every bit of contact he could find.  
  
“Mart!”  
  
Martin ignored Dave’s plea, and took him into his throat once more, his movements frantic. He moaned in pleasure around Dave’s cock, feeling it swell even more, feeling Dave tremble, and he knew he was close.  
  
Dave was shaking now, trying to force himself not to thrust into Martin’s mouth, but it was impossible. Sensing his restraint, Martin briefly let him slip out, panting “Do it Dave, I want to taste you,” before wrapping his wet lips around the sensitive head, milking him for all he was worth. Unable to stop himself, Dave began to thrust into the sweet warmth of Martin’s mouth, groaning as Martin let his jaw go slack to accommodate his movements. He desperately wanted Dave to come, and slipped his hand beneath Dave’s arse so he could gain access to his hidden entrance.  
  
He slowly slid a finger inside, then two, shuddering with need as he heard Dave whimper, and fucked him in time to his thrusting, his fingers reaching deeper and deeper until Martin thought he’d faint from the overwhelming lust he was experiencing. He fucked Dave with his fingers as he would if he were fucking him properly, deep, quick thrusts that caused tears to spring from Dave’s eyes as he reached his climax.  
  
“Oh fuck, oh fuck me, Jesus, Mart!”  
  
With a huge shudder, Dave came, Martin moaning loudly around his length, tasting him at last, his fingers still moving deeply inside him as he sucked Dave clean. He slowed down his movements until Dave was spent, his body relaxing bonelessly onto the bed, and Martin finally let him slip out of his mouth, panting for breath. He leaned over and wiped his fingers on the sheets, then crawled up over Dave, exhausted.  
  
“God, Mart.” Dave panted, stroking his shoulderblades, “Fucking incredible”.   
  
Martin smiled, and snuggled up against Dave’s chest, listening to the rhythm of his heartbeat. Both men were too exhausted now to speak any more, and Dave wordlessly tugged the duvet over them both, kissing Martin’s hair as he softly ran his fingers up and down his spine.  
  
“Have you ever gone that far, Dave?” Martin asked after a while, voice soft and gentle as Dave’s soothing motions on his back lulled him closer to sleep.  
  
“I’ve been sucked off by a bloke before, yes.” Dave replied quietly, “But I’ve never had someone  _inside_ me, like you were.” He shifted slightly, and Martin raised his head, looking up at his face with an expression that was a cross of wonder and pride.  
  
Dave licked his lips, and reached out a trembling hand to stroke Martin’s cheek. “I want to be inside you Mart. I want to feel what it’s like to be with you, in every way.”  
  
Martin gasped, Dave’s sincerity and depth of desire was evident in his eyes. Any doubts Martin might still have been entertaining, evaporated at that moment, blown away by his sudden realisation that Dave meant this. He truly wanted this, all of it,  _him_. He leaned up, taking Dave’s bottom lip between his own, nibbling it tenderly before pressing his mouth fully against Dave’s in their most intense kiss yet. He pulled back after several heated moments, eyes hooded.   
  
“Take me, Dave.” he said, rubbing his hand over Dave’s chest. “Make me yours.”  
  
Dave met his gaze with a questioning glance and Martin nodded. Dave smiled at him, understanding from their brief exchange that Martin would guide him through his first time, his nervousness dissipating as a wave of excitement and lust washed over him. He gently pushed Martin to lie on his back, covering his body lightly with his own as they continued to kiss.  
  
Growing in confidence at the noises Martin was making, Dave snaked a hand down between them, lightly stroking the soft skin of Martin’s abdomen. He moved it lower and blinked, pulling away to glance down. “Why the hell have you still got clothes on?”  
  
“Dunno.” Martin wriggled beneath him, raising his hips insistently. “Get them off,” he demanded, face flushed with arousal. “Need to feel you Dave.  _Please_.”  
  
Dave growled under his breath, crushing their lips together again, as his fingers scrambled to undo Martin’s fly, tugging down the zip and peeling the tight material from his hips. He closed his eyes as he moved back to sit on his haunches, pulling the trousers fully down Martin’s legs and tossing them on the floor. He took a deep breath before he opened them again, needing the brief pause to prepare himself for the sight of Martin’s naked body spread out beneath him for the first time. Sure, he’d seen Martin nude before –who hadn’t? –but never like this, hot, flushed and  _hard_ , waiting for him.  
  
“Dave?” Martin gasped, eyelids fluttering as Dave’s fingertips lightly caressed his heated flesh. He watched as Dave slowly opened his eyes, raking his body with a predatory stare, and shivered. “Dave, please!”  
  
Crawling over him, Dave lowered himself carefully, their bodies aligning perfectly. Martin moaned at the first meeting of their hard lengths, the sound swallowed up by Dave’s own groan as he took Martin’s mouth in a possessive kiss, tongue greedily searching out every inch of his mouth. Arching his back, Martin began to thrust up against him, desperate for some friction for his aching cock. Dave met his thrusts, grinding down against him in an almost symbolic mirror image of what was to come, their movements aided by the steady flow of precome from their weeping lengths, mixed with the sweat from the heat of their bodies. There was no resistance, their flesh gliding against each other with an ease that was almost too good to be true.  
  
Martin reached a hand between them and took hold of both of their cocks, stroking them roughly as he began to lose control of his senses. Dave cried out at the sensation, the velvet heat of Martin’s cock pressed so tightly to his own, and knew it was time. He moved his lips from Martin’s mouth, pressing wet, open-mouthed kisses along his jaw, his neck, taking his earlobe between his pointed teeth. “Tell me what to do, Mart.” he whispered, his hot breath in Martin’s ear causing the man beneath him to shiver from head to toe. “Tell me what you want me to do to you.”  
  
Martin allowed himself a small smile at the apprehension in Dave’s voice. He’d tried to cover it up with bravado, but it was obvious he was nervous, the hand resting on Martin’s hip was practically vibrating he was shaking so much. He released his grip on their cocks, ignoring the groan of disappointment in his ear, and grasped blindly for Dave’s hand.   
  
“Give me your fingers.” He said quietly, opening his eyes in amusement as Dave’s hand instantly appeared in front of his face. He turned his head to the side slightly, locking eyes with Dave, and parted his lips, sucking Dave’s fingers inside. Martin swirled his tongue around the digits, wetting them thoroughly for what was about to come, and moaned loudly, the thought of having Dave – _any_ part of him –inside him almost more than he could stand. He quickened his movements, hooded eyes watching Dave’s expression change from lust to outright  _hunger_.  
  
Losing control, Dave started thrusting against him, panting heavily as he watched Martin work his fingers like he had his cock earlier, the memory making his already stiff member throb painfully in anticipation. “Mart...” he groaned, voice rasping as he struggled to retain his last shred of composure.  
  
Martin allowed his fingers to slip from his mouth with a wet ‘pop’, grinning up at the lust-darkened face hovering above him. He stuck his tongue out to lick teasingly at the digits before nudging Dave’s hand with his nose, smiling wordlessly as Dave grasped what he was saying and lowered his hand. Dave shifted back on to his knees, and Martin spread his legs, exposing himself fully to Dave’s heated gaze. He tilted his head back, moaning softly at the barest whisper of a touch of Dave’s slick fingers on his skin.   
  
Dave moved ever so slowly, his touch reverent as he caressed the soft, firmness of Martin’s behind. Holding his breath, he allowed his finger to trail along the crack of his arse, inching closer to Martin’s puckered entrance. Dave could see it, pulsing gently in time with the throbbing of his cock, like it was calling to it, begging for its stiffness to penetrate him. He swallowed audibly as he finally reached it, circling the ring of muscles with his index finger, just lightly stroking it as his mind came to terms with what he was about to do. Martin trembled beneath him, and Dave’s eyes flickered up to his face, seeing the barely restrained  _need_ , and heaving chest.  
  
“Please... Dave...” Martin panted, his body writhing against the sheets. “Don’t tease me, please, I need you.”  
  
Dave gasped, and returned his attention to where his fingertip had come to rest. He pushed slowly, watching in amazement as Martin’s body opened up to accept him, sucking him further into the unbelievably tight heat. Martin groaned, and arched to meet him. “More... So good...”  
  
Shuffling backwards, Dave lay on his stomach to get a better view. He added another finger, thrusting them gently in and out of Martin’s body, eyes wide and nostrils flaring at the erotic sight. His cock throbbed painfully, and he reached down to grab it with his free hand, squeezing it slightly. _‘Just a few minutes more,’_  he thought, stroking reassuringly.  _‘It will be worth it.’_  Martin’s cock flexed, and Dave was suddenly overcome with the urge to taste him. He pushed himself forward, fingers still thrusting, and licked a long, thick stripe up the underside of Martin’s weeping length, swirling his tongue around the head and collecting the milky droplets of precome. He moaned in delight, Martin’s sweet, nutty flavour coating his tongue, and sucked his tip fully into his mouth.  
  
Martin practically screamed at the unexpected warmth now surrounding his impressive length, his hands burying themselves in Dave’s hair. “Oh God, Dave!” He dug his heels into the mattress, pushing up into the wet heat and simultaneously giving Dave more room to thrust harder with his fingers, adding a third and scissoring them, stretching Martin wide open.  
  
He pulled off Martin’s slick cock with a groan, eyes glazed with lust, and licked and sucked his way down to his balls, taking first one then the other into his mouth, rolling them over his tongue. Martin was writhing uncontrollably beneath him, begging for more with every twitch of his hips.  
  
Martin tugged at his hair, wrenching him away from his most sensitive area, and dragging him up into a frantic, sloppy kiss, all teeth and tongues. Finesse was out the window, the two men consumed by unbridled passion and hunger for one another. “Fuck me Dave.” Martin murmured, biting at Dave’s bottom lip. “Fuck me.”  
  
Dave nodded, crashing their lips together again, before moving back down Martin’s body, kissing and biting every inch of his torso that he could reach. Removing his fingers, Dave watched in fascination as Martin’s entrance remained open, the gaping hole just begging to be filled by Dave’s hard cock. Running his hand over Martin’s cock, he gathered the slick precome, reaching down to fist his own member, spreading the fluid over its length. He glanced up as Martin took hold of his hand, twining their fingers together, smiling sweetly down at him.   
  
Raising their joined hands to his lips, Dave kissed Martin’s knuckles tenderly, his face glowing with love and affection. They stared at each for a long while, until the insistent pressure in Dave’s crotch became unbearable. Panting hard, Dave lowered his head, feeling a sudden urge to press his tongue into the tender flesh between Martin’s balls and his entrance. Martin whimpered loudly, not expecting the move from his less experienced lover. Dave grinned, his tongue licking a path back to Martin’s entrance, and gently pushing inside, lubricating him further for what was to come.  
  
“Fuck sake Dave, enough.” Martin groaned desperately, “Do it!”  
  
Dave knelt up, wrapping Martin’s legs around his waist, and took hold of his cock, lining himself up. He looked up at Martin from beneath lowered eyelashes, face flushed with nervous excitement. He pushed inside, slowly and carefully, moaning as his length was enveloped, inch by glorious inch, in Martin’s tight, wet heat. He paused when he felt Martin’s arse against his thighs, and looked down, groaning at the sight of himself buried to the hilt inside his Martin.  
  
“Are you... Is that ok?” Dave managed to choke out, grabbing onto Martin’s hips seemingly for dear life. He loosened his grip, running his fingers up and down his sides in an attempt to soothe him, and allowed his right hand to find Martin’s slick, erect cock under his fingertips, his left still tightly held in Martin’s grasp.  
  
“Mmmm…” Martin moaned involuntarily, relaxing under Dave’s touch.  
  
“That better?” Dave whispered, stroking him lightly.  
  
“Yeah… please Dave, don’t stop.”  
  
Dave pulled back his hips and thrust into him hard, hissing at the pleasure radiating through his body. Martin whimpered loudly, his free hand wrapping around Dave’s which was still holding onto his cock. He bore down when Dave pressed forwards, pushing him deeper, harder into the area where he craved him the most. He heard Dave swearing as he struggled to remain in control of himself.  
  
“Let go, Dave.” he commanded, and it only took a second before Dave was thrusting into him with abandon, his resolve shattered. Martin cried out again and again with each and every thrust, sweat dripping down onto his chest from Dave’s forehead, barely coherent now.  
  
Dave pulled out almost all the way, held himself there, then thrust back in, hard and deep, grunting like an animal as he felt Martin clench around him. Martin was almost sobbing with the intensity of it all, Dave fucking him long and hard, his eyes rolling back in his head as he felt Dave’s balls slap against his arse. Dave seemed to know exactly what he liked, what he  _needed_.  
  
Martin cried out as Dave’s hand left his cock to tug on his balls, holding their weight and kneading them gently with his fingers. “Dave!”  
  
“Oh fuck Mart, I’m gonna come.” Dave groaned breathlessly, embarrassed at how fast he was approaching his peak. He wanted this to be good for Martin too –which it was judging from the noises coming from him, and he wanted their first time together to last. He let go of Martin’s balls, brushing Martin’s fingers out of the way to wrap his hand firmly around his cock again, stroking in time to his deep thrusts into Martin’s vice-like body.   
  
“Uh do it Dave! Come inside me! Do it now, please!”  
  
Martin could feel the beginnings of his orgasm building in the base of his stomach, Dave’s smooth thrusts becoming short, jerky jabs focussed purely on his prostate. Dave sped up his hand movements, and within seconds he felt the hot spurts of Martin’s release coat his fingers, spilling onto his abdomen as Martin arched spectacularly, muscles clamping down hard around Dave’s cock. “Oh Dave yes!!”  
  
Dave froze, arms trembling as he threw his head back, howling through the climax that ripped through his body, flooding Martin’s passage with his burning, sticky seed. He collapsed forward onto Martin’s heaving chest, murmuring over and over again. “I love you, I love you Mart.”  
  
Martin’s arms came up to rest around his shoulders, holding him tight to his chest as he kissed Dave’s hair repeatedly. “I love you too,” he whispered, struggling to regain his breath and blinking against the sharp sting of tears that threatened to spill from his eyes. It had been everything he’d ever dreamed of and more. Dave dazedly lifted his head, wiping the lone tear from Martin’s cheeks and pressing a light kiss on his lips. He rolled onto his back, wordlessly tugging Martin with him to curl against his side.  
  
There was no need for words. Not at that moment.   
  
They lay awake for what remained of the night and early morning, wrapped in each others arms, occasionally exchanging sweet, soft kisses, but mostly just gazing at each other, content at finally being together.  
  
***   
  
When they came down for breakfast later that morning, they found Alan waiting for them. He was sitting at a table in a corner of the dining room, sunglasses already on, covering the heavy, dark circles under his eyes. He looked up and calmly folded the newspaper he was reading as he saw them approach, placing it neatly on the table beside his cup of coffee.   
  
“Good morning,” he smiled widely, looking between the two of them with a smug grin. “Sleep well?”  
  
Dave chuckled, reaching over to lightly punch him on the shoulder as he took a seat opposite him. “Fuck off, Charlie.” He said, blushing at the insinuation, but not denying it. Martin watched this exchange with barely restrained relief, he’d been worried about Alan’s reaction, but now realised his concern had been in vain. Alan turned to look at him, and he smiled gratefully at him, nodding shyly.  
  
“Where’s Andy?” he asked, slipping into the seat beside Dave. He glanced down in pleased surprise as Dave’s hand gripped his, fingers entwining beneath the table.  
  
“Andy is getting me breakfast.” Alan replied in a deadpan tone. “We decided it was only fair after he puked all over my feet this morning.”  
  
Dave snorted loudly, unable to contain his laughter, and Martin soon joined in, his infectious giggle ringing around the large room. “Oh god,” Dave sighed, wiping away some moisture from the corner of his eye. “I wish I could have seen your face, Charlie.”  
  
“Yeah yeah, laugh it up.” Alan replied, struggling to keep up his unimpressed facade.  
  
“Hehe sorry Al,” Martin said, trying to suppress his mirth. “It’s just I know exactly what Andy’s like when he’s had a few. So glad I won’t have to deal with it anymore.”  
  
“Oh really?” Alan raised a lascivious eyebrow, looking from Martin to Dave, and back again.  
  
“Really.” Dave said firmly, allowing Alan to catch a glimpse of their joined hands.  
  
Alan smiled warmly at the two men. “I’m happy for you.” he said sincerely, chuckling softly at the look of affection shared between Dave and Martin.  
  
“Thank you, Charlie.” Martin replied quietly, his gratitude extending to more than just Alan’s words. Alan nodded and reached out to take Martin’s hand, gripping it tightly for a moment before letting go and exchanging a poignant glance with Dave.   
  
 _‘Take care of him, Dave.’_  
  
“Well well, look who finally decided to grace us with their presence!”  
  
Andy’s loud voice broke the silence as he sat down in the free chair next to Alan, placing a bowl of fruit salad in front of him. “Here you go Al.”  
  
“Cheers mate.”  
  
They ate in comfortable silence for a while, watching amusedly as Dave and Martin blatantly flirted with each other at the opposite side of the table. Andy turned to Alan and pretended to vomit onto his plate at the sight of them, but his indulgent smile gave him away. Alan was only slightly surprised that Fletch didn’t seem at all shocked at the development, the redhead was a lot more observant than people gave him credit for. Alan smiled at him and shook his head with a wry laugh. Andy nodded in response and wiped his mouth with a napkin, pushing his now empty plate away from him, and fixing his eyes on the pair in front of him.  
  
“So.” Dave and Martin looked up as Andy fixed them with a sly stare. “You gonna tell me what’s going on, or do I have to beat it out of you?”  
  
Alan leant back in his chair as his bandmates exchanged a startled look. Folding his arms, he allowed a smirk to settle on his lips and sat back to watch the long-expected drama unfold.  
  
THE END.


End file.
